Rising From the Ashes
by TheGreatPirateLefty
Summary: Stiles has returned to his childhood home of Beacon Hills to reunite with old friends and start his life. Shortly after graduation he leaves his dad's home and ends up in an apartment with Derek Hale, the socially awkward, extremely shy son of the prestigious Hale family. Can the two coexist in peace, or will Stiles push his luck too far? #Sterek [AU]
1. Prologue, Observation

Rising From the Ashes

Prologue: Returning Home and the Roommate

Stiles pulled up to his dad's house, smiling as he took in the sight. The police cruiser was parked out front, as promised; his dad was waiting for him to get there. He stepped out of the driver side and before he could even clear the hood of his vehicle, his dad was there, hugging him a little too tight.

"Dad… Can't breathe!" He exhaled the words, being a little over dramatic.

"Don't care; I'm just glad you made it safe." The sheriff let go and took a step back, smiling at his son.

"Come on, let's get you settled in and then we can catch up!"

Stiles just shook his head, there wasn't much to tell. After his parent's divorce, he moved away with his mom. They made it all the way to Arkansas where she met his stepfather.

_Ugh… _He thought to himself. That man, the man his mothered was now married to, was the epitome of wicked stepparents. When she was around, he was kind and caring. As soon as she was out of sight, Stiles was a burden, and obstacle, something he wanted gone. So, he did the man a favor and struck a deal, buy him the jeep he had been eyeing and give him enough gas money to make it to Beacon Hills, and he would leave. He didn't even have a chance to blink before the asshole was dragging him to the car lot.

So here he was, in Beacon Hills, in the home he always wanted to be in. He was about to turn 18 and start his senior year. His dad was all too happy to have him back. He didn't want to talk bad about his mother, but she was way too passive-aggressive for his liking and it made her easy to walk all over. But she was happy with her new husband, and she wasn't too shocked when Stiles confessed to leaving. She seemed happy to see him go, to spread his wings and live his life, or whatever she would have said if he hadn't left right after she went to work. He didn't want to wait, he wanted to go home.

"Oh! Before I forget, I already told Scott you were moving back. Speak of the devil!"

Stiles turned just in time to see a blur on a bike. Within seconds he was on the ground with a mouthful of grass. He groaned and rolled over to see his best friend, sprawled out on the ground next to him.

"Scott! You could have killed me!"

"No way dude, I had it until you turned around!"

He glared for a minute before shaking his head and moving to the jeep to unpack.

_I am so glad I came back. _

His senior year flew by, and before he knew it, he was graduating. He had made a few friends, thanks to Scott. Though, it was just Allison, Scott's girlfriend, her best friend and his former third grade crush Lydia, and her boyfriend Jackson. Though he would hardly call Jackson his friend, it was more like he was there because Lydia was. He would laugh when she gave him a look, one that said, 'If you don't come along, I won't be giving it up.'

He usually felt like the fifth wheel, despite everyone, except Jackson, and their attempts to include him in most of their activities, parties, and sometimes just hanging out at someone's house. He appreciated them trying, but he never felt comfortable with the group. He still got to hang with Scott often, and he was happy to have that. Especially after what happened on the first day of school.

"You're what now?" Scott was confused, still processing the information he had just been given.

"I'm gay." Stiles was nervous, practically shaking. He didn't want his best friend to hate him for this.

"Okay? And does that have anything to do with what flavor Popsicle you wanted?"

Stiles did blurt it out at an odd time. They had been sitting in Scott's kitchen, just talking and he just answered a question with it, not really paying attention to the actual question. But the look on Scott's face told him that his best friend was completely cool with it.

"Cherry."

"Nope, the last cherry is mine!" He said as he took a bite of it, throwing a grape one at his best friend.

Stiles sneered and let it hit him in the forehead, dramatically falling to the floor and twitching.

_Guess I was scared for nothing. I am glad it doesn't change anything between us. _He couldn't help but smile at the thought as he pretended to be dead.

Graduation came and went, and many of his classmates went off to college. Lydia and Jackson went off to Northern California for college, often coming to visit during the breaks and on weekends. Scott, who did almost as bad in his last year of school as Stiles, ended up at Beacon Hills community college. He and Allison had broken up shortly before graduation, but patched things up shortly before she left for Yale. They were trying to make the long distance thing work. He thought it was cute, but it was getting depressing to see all the happy couples around him. So, Stiles decided to start his own future.

Stiles got a job, and after he turned 19, began looking for a new place to live. He didn't mind living with his dad, but he felt that he and his father deserved their space. He barely made enough to get a place on his own, so he decided to look into finding a roommate. He would have asked Scott, but his best friend had made a deal with his mom to live in her house rent free as long as he went to school. So he took to the internet. He looked for maybe an hour before finding the perfect ad.

'Room for Rent, connects to half bath. $550 a month, utilities included.'

The ad was simple, but he knew the address and the apartments were very upscale. The amount the guy was asking for was dirt cheap, so Stiles emailed him and after a few exchanges back and forth and one phone call, he had the room.

He pulled up in front of the apartment on the day he was supposed to move in. He was a little nervous to meet his roommate. When he went to go check the place out, the guy was working so he had to show himself around. But he decided the guy couldn't be so bad once he made sure there were no severed heads in the freezer. But his roommate was home today, took the day off to help Stiles move his stuff in and everything. As he stepped out of the jeep and turned to the apartment, he saw someone walking out from the main entrance of the building.

The man was tall, towering over Stiles' 6'1" body by at least 4 inches, with a toned muscular build, his biceps stretched the sleeves of his shirt almost to the ripping point. His black hair was messily spike, but still had an odd order about it, like the man took his time to make it look that way specifically. The last thing that he noticed was the light green eyes. The way the midday sun caught them for a second, made them almost shine. He thought about stepping forward, but kept his place as the man came forward.

"Stiles?" The man asked with a quirked brow.

"Yeah…" His eyes fell to the man's extended hand.

"I'm your roommate, Derek Hale."

Chapter 1: Observation

Derek… Hale. Stiles blinked, unable to believe it.

The Hale family was one of the most eccentric, yet prestigious families in this town. They were one of the founding families of Beacon Hills. They had influence over most things that went on here, and he was going to be living with the only male heir of the family.

Each generation had someone directly tied into the political workings of this town. The last was his uncle, Peter. He was the former sheriff and loved by everyone. He was far over qualified for the job, coming from a military background, but he insisted on working as an officer of the law after he left the Army. It wasn't long before the town elected him sheriff and he was well on his way to a happy life. Until the old library fire that took his life. The Hale family was devastated, mostly Derek. His uncle was his hero and he wanted to be just like him when he grew up. Stiles was only 6 when he went to the funeral, but could recall Derek, only 11 at the time, crying his eyes out, face buried in his own hands.

The entire family retreated into solitude for a few months; nobody saw or heard much about them. But like with all things, time healed the wounds. They began to appear in town, picking up where they left off. Even Derek began to make appearances with his mother before Stiles and his mom left. After the death of Peter, his dad became sheriff and the hours became hectic. Crime went on the rise and his mom decided she couldn't be with a man who was never around. So she packed up and left, and took Stiles with her.

When he came into town for the summer, he would catch glimpses of Derek every now and then, he became an outgoing teenager, smiling and even taking the track team to nationals. But when Stiles started failing high school, he was stuck in Arkansas during for summer school, and didn't see much of anything in Beacon Hills. So he lost track of the famous 'son of Hale,' as they called him.

Stiles noticed right away that Derek was a man of few words. He rarely said anything as they moved Stiles' belongings into his new room. It took most of the day, and several trips to his dad's house, but they got everything moved in. Derek helped him put his bed back together, still not saying a word. As he finally finished unpacking, Stiles turned to look at the other man with a smile.

"Want some dinner? My treat!"

"Not hungry." He said as he turned from the room and walked across the hall to his own room, leaving the door open.

Stiles followed curiously and saw the stacks of books, the bookshelves that lined the walls, and smirked at the one bookshelf on the far wall that was nothing but comics.

"Can I come in?"

Derek only nodded, not making any eye contact as Stiles crossed the threshold into his room, his eyes wandered along the books, reading titles.

"You can… borrow them, if you want."

Stiles turned, smiling in appreciation.

"Really? Awesome! I promise they will come back in the same condition I borrowed them in!"

He grabbed a few books from the shelves; suddenly remembering how books had been his best friend growing up outside of Beacon Hills. His smile faded slightly as he recalled the other kids calling him weird because he liked to read. He shook it off quickly, turning to leave the room again.

"I am going to order pizza, if you want some, it will be in the kitchen."

Stiles turned and walked from the room, calling for a pizza and sitting in the den with his first book, waiting in the peaceful, wondrous world that was the book he had. After his dinner had arrived, he wandered out onto the balcony, reading until his eyes got heavy. He walked back into the apartment and looked at the pizza box to see that Derek had taken two slices. He smiled and walked to his room, a little happier than he should have been over a couple of slices of pizza.

Property of #BroodyINC


	2. Fixation

Chapter 2: Fixation

Stiles had been living with Derek for almost three months, and things seemed to go pretty well. Every morning Derek would leave, headed for the Police station.

_He works with my dad, Great…_

He felt like this gave his dad a way to keep tabs on him, but as soon as Derek found out his last name was Stilenski, he assured Stiles he wouldn't nark him out to his dad, unless he was doing something awful. But other than that, his new roommate was a man of few words. He rarely spoke, and when Stiles tried to start a conversation, all he got was a few words or less in reply. He assumed his roommate was just shy, socially awkward even, but he wanted to see Derek come out of his shell. Every couple of weeks when Lydia and Jackson came into town, they would hang out with Stiles. She called him her, 'Gay BFF,' and he was cool with that. However, this upcoming weekend, Allison would also be in town because of a break in school, so the whole gang was going to spend some time together.

Stiles told Derek that his friends would be coming in from out of town, and would like to see the place. Derek just nodded in response, so Stiles went ahead and brought them all over. His broody, socially awkward roommate even decided to hang out; if you call sitting in a chair and not saying anything to anyone, 'hanging out.' Stiles left him alone, because he seemed to enjoy himself, even ignoring the fact that his underage roommate was drinking. As the night went on, Scott pulled his friend aside, far from earshot of everyone else.

"Stiles, your roommate… He is… interesting." Scott paused because he couldn't think of a nicer word.

"Dude, he's pretty cool. I think he might be extremely shy, he barely talks to me." Stiles shrugged and peeked out, noticing that Derek's eyes had followed them.

_He's probably just making sure we aren't doing anything that could get him in trouble._ Stiles nodded to himself before turning back to his best friend.

"Nah dude, he has been watching you all night. His eyes have barely moved from you."

"Me? He's watching me?" Stiles shook his head, not believing his friend.

"Yeah dude, Lydia and Allison have been texting about it for the past hour. I think he might have a thing for you."

Stiles turned back to look at the group, using his peripheral to catch Derek still staring.

"Maybe you're right! Score!"

"Well, if you think he is a decent guy, that's cool. But just be careful. He could be a little… crazy."

Stiles chuckled and nodded, not paying attention anymore. He wanted to test this theory his friends had come up with. They went back into the den, and Stiles took a seat closer to Derek, practically right beside him. He could feel those green eyes focused on him, and it made him smile. The rest of the night he would tilt his neck a certain way, or lift his arms just high enough to expose a small bit of his midsection. Each time, he could hear the quiet inhale of Derek's breath, and it gave him a power high.

As the night came to a close, he walked his friends downstairs, returning to see Derek cleaning up. He helped him in silence, sometimes brushing hands with him, enjoying watching his roommate tense at the slightest touch. He finished cleaning and began to pull his shirt off, turning to Derek.

"I'm going to shower and then to bed, I will do dishes tomorrow morning. That cool?"

All he got in response was a nod, so he turned and walked down the hall, his shirt pulled over his head, exposing his back and knowing full well that Derek could still see him. He stepped into the bathroom, 'accidentally' leaving the door open as he finished undressing. He slid the shower door open and left it open. As the warm water hit his body, he turned his eyes for a second and immediately noticed the dark figure in the hall. Barely noticeable, but he could make out Derek's built frame, standing… watching.

The mere thought of his roommate as an audience caused his body to react. He took a step back, leaning against the wall, his now firm cock in full view. He slid a hand down his chest, across the gentle ripples of his abs, slowly, teasingly, before finally gripping himself. He let out a soft moan, one that would have been inaudible to anyone else if the door was closed. However, he knew that Derek could hear him and it turned him on even more. He closed his eyes as he began to stroke himself, letting his mouth hang open just slightly, his breathing slow but heavy. He took his time, enjoying every stroke, letting his free hand wander across the contours of his own body. If he had been alone, it would be done by now, but he wanted to give his audience a show he would not forget. His pace quickened slightly, hips pushing into each downward stroke, moans becoming louder as the performance went on. He tilted his head back, and let out a gasp of pleasure, feeling himself peak, breathing heavy and fast, his body tensed as he released, coating his abs with shot after shot of his orgasm.

He slumped back against the wall and cast a sideways glance into the hall, seeing that Derek was no longer there. His face was alight with a grin as he washed up and walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel on. He reached his bedroom, eying Derek's closed bedroom door before dropping the towel and crawling onto his bed and burying his face into a pillow.

_He actually has a thing for me… Awesome._ His mind reeled for a bit before he fell asleep, dreaming of other ways to entice his roommate.

Property of #BroodyINC


	3. Recognition

Chapter 3: Recognition

Stiles had been doing anything and everything to tease Derek. He would walk around in just his boxer briefs, leave his door open at night and be very loud when he jerked off. He knew Derek was always watching, he could feel his eyes on him, and he loved every fucking second of it. But, Derek never made a move, he would only just ever watch. Stiles didn't mind at first, he just enjoyed giving his roommate a show, but now he was getting impatient. It had been over a month since he started this endeavor, hoping to coax Derek into his room. He began dreaming about the large muscular form of his roommate between his legs, the feel of his lips, the taste of him. He would imagine millions of scenarios, each one hotter and more intense than the last. But Derek never made a move.

Maybe Stiles was imagining it, the way that Derek wanted him. But the intensity in the man's eyes when he stared, the way he jumped when Stiles caught him, it all said differently. He had to know, he needed to know why Derek wasn't pursuing him. Stiles was making it obvious that he wanted him, but he just wouldn't take the bait. So Stiles continued to wait, slightly terrified. He wouldn't admit to any of his friends, but he was still a virgin. He hated it, being 19 and the most action he ever got was from his hand. He wasn't going to just give it away, but he wanted Derek more than anything. If something else came out of it, that would be cool, but if not, he at least wanted all his hard work to pay off.

He had pretty much learned Derek's routine by now, always trying to find an opportune moment to give him a little peek. In the mornings, he would sit on the balcony and have his coffee, and Stiles would go outside to smoke in just his boxers, morning wood very apparent, and he would watch Derek stare, sometimes lick his lips, like he wanted to taste it. Then as Derek got out of the shower before work, Stiles would leave his door open just a crack and strip down, pretending to pick out clothes for the day in the nude. He could hear Derek standing outside his door because it would creak just a little bit. He would bend down and give him a full view. He knew his roommate liked it, once or twice he even heard him whimper. That kind of control, that power, was new to Stiles, and he loved it. Derek would then leave for work and Stiles would pretty much be left alone most of the day. Working from home proved advantageous for Stiles, sometimes he would just stand in the doorway to Derek's room and imagine being face down, ass up while Derek plowed into him, over and over again.

_Fuck… Now I am horny._

His imagination always got the better of him and it was making things worse by the second. Luckily, on his days off, Scott would come by. They would play video games, hang out, and Scott would usually talk about Allison, or tell Stiles about Jackson and Lydia. He didn't mind, he actually enjoyed the distractions when they were available. Today was not one of those days.

Stiles leaned against the doorframe, his imagination running wild. Today he was daydreaming about Derek's desk, bent over the side, Derek behind him being the assertive alpha that Stiles imagined him to be. He jumped when he heard the door open. He turned and quickly ran from the room, flailing a little as he swan dived onto his own bed.

"Stiles?"

"In my room!"

Stiles called back, it was odd for Derek to be home so early, let alone check to see if Stiles was home. But he sat on the edge of his bed and waiting until Derek poked his head around the door.

"Uhm… My mom and sisters are coming over for dinner tonight, if it isn't too uncomfortable for you… You're welcome to join us."

"Yeah! Sure!" Stiles nodded repeatedly, realizing only after Derek was staring at him with a confused glance that he was still nodding. He stopped and turned his face away, embarrassed.

Stiles put on a nice shirt and his only pair of dress pants, trying to look presentable for the Prestigious Hale women. He didn't want them to think that Derek's roommate was a slob. He greeted them all with a friendly smile but each woman carried only an icy stare for him. It had been several years since he had actually spoken to any of them, except for Cora, she had a few classes with him senior year, and she was nice back then. But now, she looked at him with indifference.

_Oh man, tonight is going to be a blast. I wonder what he told them. Maybe about his smoking habit or the underage drinking, either way, they didn't seem happy._

"Stiles, what is it that you do?" Talia asked him as they sat at the table, eating a dinner that Derek had taken hours to prepare. Stiles was honestly impressed. He could barely boil an egg and Derek was like a gourmet chef.

"Oh… Uh… I work for Chris Argent. I know a bit about computers and he needed an IT guy, so he hired me."

"And in your free time?" She didn't move her gaze from him.

_Did her eyes… flash red? I must be imagining things. Damn my nerves._

"Well, I usually hang out with my best friend when he is free, but I also do quite a bit of reading. I have to say, Derek has such an impressive library. "

At the mention of Derek, all eyes but his are on Stiles.

_If looks could kill, I would be on the floor right now._

There is a long moment of silence, Stiles could feel his heart beating in his throat until Talia finally broke the silence.

"Yes, he does love his books. Most of them are from our house, he stops by after work sometimes to pick up some of his favorites. He is very well read, and very articulate."

Stiles looked over and saw Derek blush. His cheeks were red, and he looked absolutely adorable. He nodded in agreement but didn't say anything else. The rest of the dinner went in silence, up through dessert and after dinner drinks.

_They are so formal and high class. I feel so out of place._

The rest of the night went swimmingly though, he and Cora talked about high school, reliving memories, and how she was enjoying college. Her attitude towards had changed considerably after a couple glasses of wine. She was bubbly and giggly, but she was still Cora. She nudged him and it almost knocked the wind out of him. She was like Wonder Woman. He was having a good time until she asked him one question.

"So Stiles… Do you have a boyfriend?"

Suddenly all eyes were on him again, Derek's included. He gulped, but looked back at Derek for a moment. He could see a slight glimmer of hope, but it quickly fades and Derek's eyes fall.

"No. I'm… I'm single."

He caught a quick flash of a smile from Derek, but it vanished as fast as it had appeared.

"Oh, well that's too bad. You are such a sweet guy; I hope you find someone soon."

"Thanks, Cora. I appreciate that."

_If only you knew._

The night finally came to a close, and Stiles was glad to say goodbye to his guests. He saw them off while Derek started cleaning up. He walked back into the apartment, hearing clanking in the kitchen, he peeked in.

"Need any help?"

Derek just shook his head, and Stiles felt a tension in the air, but he wasn't sure what it was. He slid into the kitchen and just watched the large form of his roommate. It made him chuckle, and Derek jumped, realizing Stiles was still there.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's okay. Uh… Stiles?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it true? What you said about… not having a boyfriend?"

Derek had turned his full attention to stare at him, he just smiled and shook his head. He wasn't sure where he was going with this, but Stiles was going to be honest.

"I've never had a boyfriend. Ever."

Stiles moved to the sink, washing a few of the dishes that Derek hadn't done, the man still standing right next to him.

"I just… never got asked out. Guess nobody found me attractive. It doesn't matter anyways. I got over it."

"Stiles?"

"Hmm?"

He turned his head only to have his lips caught by Derek's. The kiss was full of nerves and very sloppy, but there was a deep want, a hunger underneath that. It came to the forefront quickly, and the whole thing took Stiles by surprise. He only flailed for a second; suddenly realizing what was happening and closing his eyes, completely accepting it. He slid his hand up to cup Derek's cheek, holding him there as the kiss deepened, neither of them making an effort to stop. He felt his lips part under Derek's influence, inhaling the second their tongues met. He fought for dominance and quickly realized it was a losing battle. He surrendered, and let himself be taken control of. Just how he wanted it…

They made out for what seemed like forever but after a few minutes, Derek suddenly pulled away, not saying anything. He just turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen, his bedroom door closing a few seconds later. Stiles stood there for a long time, trying to convince himself that it wasn't a dream. That it actually happened. He walked out into the hallway, standing at Derek's door and knocking. There was no answer so he tried the handle. When he swung the door open, he found it empty and the window wide open.

_Why didn't he just use the door? _

He shrugged and let out a very heavy sigh, deciding to leave it be for the night. He went back to the kitchen and finished the dishes, and grabbed another glass of wine since it was already there. He plopped down onto the couch, bottle and glass in hand. He spent the next few hours drinking until the bottle was empty.

He wasn't sure when he passed out, but when he did, he was sure he fell asleep on the couch. But when he woke, he was in his bed. He looked around his room, completely confused and his head was throbbing. He stumbled into the bathroom, pushing open the door and looking up to find a completely naked Derek stepping out of the shower. His jaw hung loose as he took in the sight, blinking and immediately stepping back out. The image was burned into his mind, the deep ridges of Derek's abs, the defined rise of his chest, the large bulges that was his biceps… The hairless perfection that was his upper body didn't compare to what else he caught a glimpse of. He felt his face growing hot with blush as he remembered the sight of Derek's cock. It was massive! Like porn star giant! He just couldn't get his mind off it, his own body completely aroused by the sight alone. He slid down the wall outside the bathroom, sitting there until Derek came out. He didn't even look at Stiles, but his cheeks were bright red too. Stiles wasn't sure if it was anger or embarrassment, but he was not about to ask.

There was an awkward silence in the apartment; it hung in the air for a week after the kiss and the bathroom incident. Stile had apologized a million times for walking in on Derek, and he said it was okay, but the tension was still there. Every minute that Derek was home, they didn't make eye contact, he didn't stare like he used to, almost as if he had betrayed someone.

_Oh god, what if he has a boyfriend, or a girlfriend? What if he told them and now he was trying to think of a way to ask me to leave? What if they come over here and try to make me leave? I just know I am in trouble._

Stiles thought about packing, he was going to be ready if Derek asked him to leave, but after another week, he decided it was safe. The tension was still there, and it was awful. Stiles was scared to say anything about the kiss, he just didn't want to be rejected. Not knowing was almost as bad. Derek wouldn't even look at him.

_Was the kiss that bad? I know I am not a horrible kisser, maybe a little inexperienced, but not horrible._

He sat at his desk in his room one night, passing time on his computer. He was going to finally say something tonight. He waited until it was time for Derek to come home, but he didn't show up. He knew from his experiences with his dad that sometimes they got a last minute call and had to stay a little later, but after he didn't come home for another three hours, he texted him. He didn't get a reply. When he called, it went straight to voicemail. So he called his dad, hoping that nothing had happened.

"I am glad you are worried about your roommate, Stiles, but maybe he is out on a date or hanging out with friends? But nothing happened, not that we know of. Just relax, if he doesn't come home by tomorrow morning, give me a call back."

That was all he got from his dad, not much help, but he decided not to over think it. He stood at his bedroom window, looking up at the full moon before drawing his curtains closed and heading to bed.

[End Chapter 3]

Property of #BroodyINC


	4. Confrontation

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Stiles awoke the next morning, rolling out of bed and falling to the floor. He let out a groan as his face hit the hardwood. The pain woke him from his half sleeping state. He rolled over into a sitting position, untangling his blanket from his feet and mumbling to himself.

"Smooth Stiles, real smooth."

It was then that he heard the shower being turned off. He quickly scrambled to his feet and peered through the crack in his door, watching Derek walk back into his room, looking a little tired, but in one piece. The best part was, he thought Stiles was asleep, so there was no towel around his waist, and it gave Stiles a nice, full view of his toned, plump ass.

_Great, turned on first thing in the morning! Wait, why am I complaining?_

His mind went straight to visions of Derek between his thighs, legs resting on his shoulders, a hand on each of his cheeks, squeezing as his roommate turned crush worked him over. He shook his head, fighting the boner that was now fully apparent. Luckily, during his little moment, Derek had gone into his room. Stiles grumbled and began his day. He was happy that his roommate had made it home safely and that he didn't have to call his dad to form a search party.

He cracked his neck, trying to loosen up the muscles. He must have slept on it wrong because his whole left arm was numb. He stumbled into the kitchen, grumbling to himself and pouring coffee. It was funny, Stiles actually hated coffee, but he started drinking it just to give him a reason to tease Derek a bit more every morning. He smiled, now completely dependent on the dark liquid. He just inhaled the rich scent before he heard the foot steps behind him.

"Good morning." Stiles said, not even bothering to turn around.

"Oh... Hello." The voice wasn't Derek's. It wasn't even a voice belonging to a man.

Stiles almost dropped his mug on the floor, turning on heel to find a rather gorgeous woman standing in his kitchen. She was tall, busty, and had long dirty blonde locks that fell past her shoulders. Despite her pleasant smile and gentle appearance, Stiles couldn't shake the fact that she was more than she appeared. It also didn't help that she a gun strapped to her hip. He just smiled politely and waited for her to speak again.

"You must be Derek's roommate. I'm Kate Argent, his girlfriend."

He barely managed to set his mug on the counter before offering his name in return, and taking her hand in a limp shake. His mind was reeling. He quickly excused himself, pushing past Derek in the hall, actually pushing the giant of a man into the wall. He didn't apologize, he didn't say anything, his brain couldn't process. He crawled into bed and threw the blanket around him; like the thing piece of fabric could protect him from the immense pain he was currently feeling. His heart was shattered, he swore he could feel the pieces at the pit of his stomach, stabbing at him with every breath he took.

He didn't move all day, just sat there. He only moved once Chris called him. He could barely say anything, yet Chris heard the anguish in his voice. He told Stiles to take a few days offs, get his head on straight. It was then that Stiles got the nerve up to ask about Kate.

"Kate? Yeah, she is my little sister. She used to date your roommate a long time ago. She is back in town, came to visit while Allison is here. Why?"

"She was here this morning."

"Oh. Well maybe her and Derek decided to patch things up."

"Good for them." Stiles didn't wait for a response, he ended the call and broke down into heavy, loud, body shaking sobs.

_Why am I crying? What does it matter? He wasn't my boyfriend, he never even displayed his interest towards me to give me the thought._

But Stiles' mind kept going back to the kiss. The one they shared the night his family came to dinner. His whole body tensed, anger replacing heartbreak. He got dressed and hurried down to his jeep, heading straight for the police station. Once he arrived, he practically stormed past the front desk. He didn't expect anyone to stop him, and they didn't. It wasn't until he made it past his dad's office that he actually stopped.

_What are you going to do Stiles? What happens when you confront him?_

He didn't have a chance to get his thoughts in order.

"Stiles?"

It was Derek, standing at the end of the hall, his uniform didn't leave much to the imagination and if Stiles wasn't so pissed off, he would have enjoyed the view. He just glared, icy and bitter, right into the eyes of his roommate. Derek could tell something was wrong, so he stepped forward, and gave Stiles a gentle shove into a nearby room. Of all the places, it was an interrogation room.

_Perfect setting..._

Before Derek could even get a word out, Stiles was on him, questions blurred as he failed to pause between them.

"You have a girlfriend? You didn't tell me that? Was kissing me just a joke to you? Did you even think to ask yourself how I would feel? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING TO HURT ME LIKE THAT?"

He screamed the last part, his rage apparent, his fists balled up at his sides. He fought back the tears, but he could feel them welling at the bottom of his eyes, he tried to blink them away, but they wouldn't cooperate.

"STILES!"

Derek screamed back, only his wasn't a scream of anger, but one of pain. It took Stiles by surprise, he blinked in shock.

"She isn't my girlfriend, not anymore. That kiss, it wasn't a joke. I... I waited for you to say something, but you never did. I thought you weren't interested, so I tried to forget about it. I guess I was wrong."

"Did you sleep with her?"

Stiles couldn't stop himself from asking the question and as much as he didn't want to hear the answer, he had to know.

"You mean last night? No. I didn't get home until early this morning. She stopped by to let me know she was in town. She tried to... before I went to work."

That was all he needed to hear, he was at the door before a large hand was pressed against it, holding it closed. Stiles tried to pull the door open, but it was useless. There was no way he could overpower Derek, so gave up.

"Did you?"

"I told her I had met someone else."

Stiles barely turned his head before those lips were on his again, the kiss was soft and sweet. He melted, all the ice and seething anger gone in an instant. He turned fully, pressing his back to the door, a single tear trailing down his cheek and mingling into the kiss. His hand gripped the massive bicep that belonged to those lips, trying to assert some kind of dominance, but he knew it was a lost cause. At the surrender, Derek pressed his body against Stiles', needy, almost hungry for human contact. It was almost like they weren't in the station, but in the privacy of their apartment. Derek reluctantly pushed away, breathing heavy, stepping back and letting his eyes fall to the floor.

"Sorry."

"What are you sorry for? It's about damn time!"

He finally saw it, the smile he had always wanted. It was brief, but for a split second, he saw this brooding, shy, socially awkward brute of a man show true happiness.

"Wait. Why did she introduce herself to me as your girlfriend?"

"Because she knew exactly who I meant when I rejected her. It's in her nature to play people against each other."

"That bitch!"

Stiles covered his mouth, automatically regretting having said those words. But to his surprise, Derek laughed. It wasn't forced either, it was a genuine laugh. It rang in his ears and he started laughing too.

"Anyone else would be terrified of her, and here you are calling her a bitch!"

It was then that everything faded and Derek grew silent. He moved and opened the door, sliding past Stiles without another word.

_OK... That was weird._

Stiles walked out the door, turning to look for Derek, trying to find out why he left so suddenly. His eyes trailed along to the end of the hall, finally finding his target, and someone else. Laura Hale was standing there, and he could tell this wasn't a pleasant visit. She was obviously pissed, stomping her foot and pointing fingers. She even pointed one at Stiles.

_Obviously talking about me, gee thanks._

Derek wasn't saying anything, his eyes were glued to the floor. She was whispering, and it was oddly quiet, but whatever it was, she looked like she was putting Derek back in his place. He didn't like it, he just felt like maybe it was his families fault that Derek wasn't with him. But he wasn't about to get in the middle of it.

He turned and walked out of the station, making it to his jeep before feeling an ungodly force strike the side of his face. It knocked him to the ground, and before he could move, a heel was at his throat, pressing down and making it hard to breathe.

"Listen here, Stiles. Derek is mine! If you even think about touching him, I will remove each of your fingers, and make you eat them."

His eye had already started to swell shut, but he knew exactly who it was. Kate obviously had a chip on her shoulder and now she was going to take it out on him. But before he could get a word out, she was gone. He sat up, head ringing from the impact of the punch.

_God she hits hard for a chick._

He crawled into the driver's seat of his jeep and drove, trying not to crash into anything. He barely made it home before he leaned back into his seat and started crying again. This was the second time today he cried and he didn't like it. This time it wasn't from heartbreak. He was crying because it seemed that every force in the universe was preventing him from being with Derek. He wasn't sure if he should give up, or fight harder. He sat in his jeep until the sky grew dark, finally moving and heading into the apartment. He went straight to his room, locking the door behind him and crawling into bed. He was too exhausted and he didn't want to deal with anything. He continued crying, tears stinging in his swollen eye, until the tears were all dried up and the sobs were just hollow wails.

It wasn't until he woke up late into the night and went to open his door that he noticed Derek had sat outside his room, having fallen asleep waiting for him to come out. Stiles stumbled back into his room, grabbing a blanket it and draping it over the dark form, but before he could straighten up, a hand was on his wrist, pulling him down. Derek gave him a sleepy smile and moved both of them, nuzzling into his neck and offering his arm as a pillow as they laid on floor. Stiles accepted without any protest, almost forgetting the events that had transpired that day.

_Did he really fall asleep in the hall waiting to see me? He is adorable.  
_

Stiles decided, right then and there, that he would fight. Even if the battle was uphill, even if he lost in the end, he would fight for Derek.

[End Chapter 4]

Property of #BroodyINC


	5. Obligation

I know many of you have been wondering about Kate and Derek's family, this chapter will answer some of those questions.

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Chapter 5: Obligation

Stiles hit the wall with a heavy bang, he let his knees buckle and he slowly slid to the floor. His whole body ached and he could feel the bruises forming on his skin. This was his third visit this week from Kate, and each time she got more brutal. He never fought back, never defended himself, he just let her hit him until she tired out. She was getting back at him for what happened a few weeks ago.

Derek had announced to his Mom and sisters that he wanted to date me, even went so far as to bring Stiles to the Hale house when he said it. All three women looked like he had told them he was dying. Then Laura and Cora both glared daggers at Stiles.

_What did I do? I thought they would be happy!_

Talia was the only one who didn't give him the evil eye, but something much worse. It was eyes of pity, like she knew Derek and Stiles were destined to fail.

"This goes against the... arrangement we made with the Argent family, Derek."

"You made that without my consent, I was still a child!"

"YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THIS FAMILY!" Talia rose her voice and Stiles almost pissed his pants. She was terrifying when she was angry. She anger seemed to have an effect on Laura and Cora too, because they each turned away, faces both showing a fear greater than Stiles felt.

"I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HAPPY!" Derek screamed back, he seemed to be the only one in the room who wasn't terrified. Even Talia was surprised by this. She didn't say anything else, and as Derek grabbed his hand and tugged him out the front door, he knew that was the end of this conversation. But he still had questions. He decided to ask once they started driving, but as soon as the passenger side door to Derek's car was closed, Derek began talking.

"I am going to tell you everything. Just let me get us home first."

Stiles just nodded and before he could even buckle up, Derek took off, breaking all kinds of traffic laws that would have surely gotten him in some serious trouble had they been pulled over. As soon as they reached the apartment, Derek began talking.

"Kate is more than my ex-girlfriend. She is my fiance. In order to... keep peace between our families, she was promised me as her husband, but I broke up with her because I didn't love her. I tried, I honestly tried to, for my family, but the whole arranged marriage thing was awful. I wasn't ever going to love someone like her. She is dark and twisted, and I am pretty sure she should be committed. After I saw what she did to your eye, Stiles..."

Derek could barely get the last few words out before he started crying. Stiles cleared the room in a second, wrapping both arms around the man's waist.

"Derek, it's okay. I spoke to Chris and even her family knows how off the deep end she is. Chris even offered to give me a taser just in case she came at me again. I am not about to go all Pikachu on her though."

"She won't stop, you know that, right? She will try to drive you away. She thinks I am her property."

"I know, but I already spoke to my dad, pressed charges and everything. But she must be a ninja because they can't find her anywhere."

That was the problem. She would pay Stiles a visit and do some serious damage to him before the cops could arrive. It was always Derek who showed up, and each time he would find Stiles just sitting where she had left him, beaten and bloodied.

He didn't want to admit it, but she was winning. Stiles was afraid to go anywhere near Derek. They had gone from cute kisses and crawling into bed with each other late at night to Stiles locking his door and keeping a minimal five foot distance. It had Derek looking so hurt every time Stiles rejected him that it broke his heart.

_I am so sorry, Derek. I'm just not strong enough for this._

Today, he hadn't called the police, instead he rose a hand to stop her.

"You win. I won't interfere anymore."

She simply smirked, turning on heel and strutting out of the apartment. He sat against the wall for hours. He was kind of proud for having lasted this long, but his body couldn't take it anymore. He finally heard the front door open and prepared to tell Derek, but as he looked up, using his half swollen eye to see, he saw Talia.

"Hello, Stiles."

He didn't reply, he just let his face fall again.

"Derek won't be coming back."

She was so professional about the whole thing. Stiles did pick up a hint of sadness from her_. _Like any mother, she wanted her kids to be happy, and forcing something like a marriage onto your child would crush any parent's heart. Well, any decent parent. It was then that he began to cry. It burned his eyes, but he couldn't stop. He had fought and lost, and now Derek had to pay the price for it. He felt like a coward, a loser, like he didn't even deserve the brief moments of happiness they shared. Then Talia did something that he didn't expect. She hugged him.

Her embrace was warm, caring, like one he got from his mom before she met his step dad. She rubbed his back, trying to calm him, whispering in his ear over and over.

"I am so sorry."

Once he calmed down, she explained that she genuinely liked Stiles, and even would have given the relationship her blessing if her son hadn't already been promised to Kate. She went on to explain that the Argent family patriarch, Gerard, had blackmailed her family and in order to keep them safe, the marriage was arranged. Stiles didn't ask what the black mail was, he could tell by the way she spoke of it, he wouldn't be allowed to know. He just sat there and let it all sink in.

"Talia..."

"Yes dear?"

"You know where he is, don't you?"

"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't."

Stiles simply grinned and rested his head against the wall. She made sure he was alright, even going so far as to offer to cook him dinner, but he declined and she left. He ended up falling asleep against the wall. He woke the next morning, sore and stiff, and not in the way Derek made him. He chuckled to himself, they had been dating for a month, but Derek wanted their first time to be perfect, so they agreed to wait. That didn't stop Stiles from teasing and torturing him. But it was even more amazing now that Derek teased back. It was then he remembered that Derek wasn't coming home. He felt like someone had removed his heart, ran it over, set it on fire, and put it back in his chest.

His days were slow, his routine was boring now that Derek wasn't around. But at least all the bruises were gone. It had been about two weeks since Derek left, and he hadn't heard from any of the Hale women either. He tried calling Derek once, but the phone had been disconnected. Nights were restless and spent tossing and turning and crying. He was always crying! He had never felt this way about anyone. He'd had crushes in school, but they all faded with time. Derek was different though. The way he felt about him, it wasn't just a crush. And now, he was alone, and he cried.

He finally decided he needed to get out. He stepped out into the chilly night air, eyes turning up to the sky and immediately noticing the full moon. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he dismissed it. He drove around for a bit, not really going anywhere in particular. He pulled up to his favorite burger joint, deciding to eat dinner in the restaurant he stepped out of his jeep. The building was packed, but he managed to find a window seat. He sat and ate in silence, people watching until he saw someone watching him from across the street. It was Derek!

Stiles nearly face planted as he stumbled from his booth and out the door, looking at the spot were he saw Derek, but nobody was there.

_Dammit, now I am imagining him at places. You are being so cliche right now, Stiles. GET IT TOGETHER!_

He didn't even go back in for the rest of his curly fries. He just wanted to get home. He drove slowly all the way home, hating the radio and it's idea that playing love songs on every station was a good idea.

"I fucking hate music." He mumbled as he turned it off and drove the rest of the way home in silence.

Once he arrived home, he noticed that his apartment light was on. He immediately thought of Derek and rushed up the stairs, tripping several times on his way to the apartment door. He pushed it open and his jaw dropped in horror. Laying on his couch was Kate, or what was left of her. There was blood everywhere. He would have fainted if it wasn't for what happened next. A dark figure moved from the corner, pinning him to the wall. He could feel the blood on the mans hands against his now pinned wrists. He could feel something like blades, ten of them, almost like claws digging into his skin. It took him a minute but he was finally able to look at the face of the person who had him confined. Standing in front of him was a face that he had not seen in over a decade.

"Hello Stiles, have you seen my nephew lately?"

It was Peter Hale.

[End of Chapter 5]

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This chapter is dedicated to KateTheHuntress and TaliaHaleTW.


	6. Retribution

Chapter 6: Retribution

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Stiles was dumbstruck. He just stared at Peter, realizing only after the man was across the room that he was no longer pinned to the wall.

"Stiles?"

"No... No. I haven't seen him since she drove him off."

He pointed a shaky finger at Kate's corpse.

_Did she just... Oh my god she is still alive!_

Almost as if reading Stiles mind, Peter spoke up again.

"Yeah, she is alive, for now. However depending on your cooperation, she might not make it in time for you to call an ambulance for her. Even though I know you don't want to."

Stiles looked at him, again, unable to say anything. He could feel it in his bones, the desire to let her die, but he knew that would be wrong. He decided to give Peter whatever he needed so that he would leave and he could get her the help she needed.

"What do you want?"

"Derek."

"I don't know where he is, and his phone has been disconnected."

"Surely... you know someone who does know where he is."

"Talia."

"Of course, my sister knows, but she doesn't know I am back. Either way, I suppose this is the best time to tell her."

Stiles blinked and he was gone, he almost didn't believe he was there. That was until Kate's body was in his line of sight again. He ran over to her, calling an ambulance as he checked her over. She was covered in claw marks, a few fingers were broken at odd angles and one leg was twisted in a way that shouldn't have been humanly possible, even if it was broken. He could tell she was on some kind of drugs, her pupils were dilated, her breathing was slow, and she seemed oblivious to whatever was going on around her. Even more so to the fact that she was barely a whole person.

He could barely speak once the ambulance arrived, his father pushing into the apartment to talk to him. He was an emotional wreck.

"Dad!"

"Stiles! What the hell happened here?"

"Peter... Peter Hale."

John's face went pale, but he didn't say anything. He just gave Stiles a hug.

"You can come stay at the house for a few days if you want."

"No, I already got a hotel room for the weekend. I should be alright."

With that, his dad dropped it that subject and began asking him the usual questions, he knew his son didn't do this, but he did have to take him down to the station for questioning. He might not have been a suspect, but he was a witness and from the way his dad let him walk out the station afterwards, he figured that Peter wouldn't be coming back to pay him a visit. He turned the corner to try and get a taxi when his eyes locked onto a black Camaro. He stood, frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Then he felt a familiar embrace from behind, big strong arms around his waist and the gentle scratch of stubble on his neck.

"I'm so sorry I left you."

"Shut up." Stiles turned in Derek's arms, and could barely look into his eyes before his lover's mouth met his in a needy but gentle kiss.

It took quite a bit of effort on Stiles part to push away from Derek, mostly because he didn't want to, but also because the man was like a wall. Derek finally seemed to get the point and pulled away, allowing Stiles to catch his breath, his own was just a light pant. Stiles didn't say anything, but turned and walked to the car, Derek beating him to the door and opening it for him.

"Such a gentleman." Stiles had reverted to his witty sarcasm earlier in the night, and it still seemed to be in full force as he slid into the car. He sat in silence for a bit as Derek drove. He had lied to his dad about having a hotel, but he had planned on finding one, or at least sleeping on Scott's couch.

"Derek... I'm not mad that you left, I knew it was for the best."

"I was a coward."

"No arguments here."

Derek didn't respond, but Stiles suddenly felt bad. He reached over and gave the giant bicep a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks for coming back. But, where are we going?"

"My mom's house."

Stiles slumped into his seat. The look on Derek's face knew that this wasn't up for debate. Shortly after they arrived, he was whisked into the sitting room, sitting beside Derek and staring at the Hale women. All three of them looked shaken, almost horrified. His only comfort was that from the minute they walked through the door, Derek's hand never left his.

"Stiles, there is something we need to tell you." When Talia spoke, it seemed like everything in the house suddenly fell silent. Even the fireplace, burning and popping at the wood within just seemed to go quiet.

"My brother, Peter, wasn't all that he seemed. He had a bit of a hero complex. When he was stationed overseas, he would often be the one to save his comrades from mines, faulty equipment, any kind of disaster and he was just magically there. We thought it was just good timing until he came home."

Talia was silent for a long moment, but it was Laura who picked up the story.

"Do you remember the string of serial arson investigations?"

Stiles thought for a second, he was just a kid, but he remembered that there were about eight fires in the town right before he turned six years old.

"Vaguely."

"Well, it didn't take us long to figure out who was behind them. My uncle was always the first on the scene, always the one to rescue whoever was trapped inside. We knew that he was causing them. But we were not the only ones. The Argents found out about the same time we did, and decided to get rid of my uncle. I honestly don't blame them, but they went about it the wrong way. They tried to burn him in that fire, let him die. Only..."

Laura paused and finally Derek spoke up.

"When the debris and charred remains of the building were moved, they never found his body."

Stiles didn't say anything, but his eyes never left Derek, even when Talia spoke up again.

"The Argents knew and were going to try and ruin our family. That was when we struck a deal. Their silence for... something in return. Kate was the one who came to collect, finally saying she wanted to marry Derek. I made the mistake of agreeing without hesitation."

For the first time since he had met her, Talia looked worn down and weak. Her head was hung low for only a second before the matriarch finally stood up tall again, features showing nothing but poise and elegance once more. She strode over to them both, kneeling before her son and taking his face in her hands.

"I am so sorry. I should have never placed that burden on you."

Derek touched his forehead to his mothers, and they both smiled. Stiles suddenly felt way out of place and he suddenly wanted air.

"Can I just step outside for a minute?"

Without waiting for a response, he excused himself and ran straight for the front door. He stepped out into the chill of the autumn air and breathed deeply, letting the cool wind hit his face and enter his lungs long enough to slow his heart down. He heard a quiet click of the door and suddenly Cora was beside him.

"You know, we don't hate you. We just didn't want the Argents to come after you. Especially Kate. Derek broke off the engagement shortly after he turned 18. But she was always there, reeling him back in. She toyed with him for a long time, trying to break him. He pretty much became a recluse when it came to dating after that. She decided he wasn't fun anymore and left. He just shut himself in his apartment, only coming out for work and occasionally to visit the family. When he met you, we all knew it would be a disaster for him. He couldn't possibly be with someone else, not while Kate was still out there."

Stiles sighed and shook his head.

"I get it. The whole, 'No hard feelings,' bit."

"Don't get me wrong Stilinski, you're still annoying as hell."

"Says the girl with who had to go to anger management every Friday because she liked to beat guys up!"

She gave him a knowing smile, having chosen him as her victim once or twice their senior year.

"Want to know why I beat you up?"

"Why?"

"A long time ago, when you first moved back, Derek picked me up from school and he saw us talking. He was immediately smitten. He used to ask me all about you."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! That was before Kate came back and forced her way into his life for three months, left him broken and resigned to his fate, only to pack up and leave again."

"That bitch." Stiles could only manage to make it sound half hateful. The idea of her currently in the ICU made it really hard to hate her.

"You can stay here, until your apartment is fixed up. I am sure Derek would be more than willing to share his bedroom."

With that she gave him a warning glare. One that he knew meant any kind of hanky panky was off limits.

"Yes ma'am." He said and immediately set out to find Derek. He stumbled up the stairs, and finally found his way to Derek's room. It was nice, full of books, and had a headboard.

_Dammit._

Stiles had a few fantasies about Derek tying him down to his bed in their apartment, and the sound of the wooden headboard making dents into the wall as he was fucked into oblivion. He smacked himself across the face.

_NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE GETTING TURNED ON! SOMEONE ALMOST DIED!_

Then Derek walked in from a side room, which Stiles could only assume was a bathroom because Derek walked out in nothing but a towel.

"Fuck me!" Stiles whispered under his breath. His body and his mind betraying his need to not be ripped to shreds by Cora.

"Babe..." Stiles suddenly froze, cheeks turning pink when he heard Derek call him, 'Babe.'

"Y-yeah?"

"Go shower. You still have..." Derek pointed and Stiles saw his clothes were covered in Kate's blood.

So without argument, he walked into the bathroom, and he was fairly impressed. He wished so badly that he hadn't just seen a mauled body on his couch because he was dying to make Derek shower with him.

_Oh well, maybe once things have calmed down._

Stiles showered, letting the water wash away all the stress and torment and fear. He felt better as he stepped out of the shower, reaching for a towel to find Talia standing there. He jumped back and hit his head on the wall, barely managing to wrap himself up. He watched as she chuckled and offered a hand. He took it, surprised at how easily she pulled him up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude, or for you to hurt yourself." She smiled softly.

"It's okay."

"I know Peter is looking for Derek."

Stiles blinked at her, the smile she just had was gone, and her serious Momma Bear face was back in full force.

"Did he come here?"

"No, and he won't. He knows what will happen if he does. But there is something else you need to know. Something that you will find out tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?"

She didn't say anything else, just turned and gracefully, almost silently walked out the door. He stumbled out of the bathroom, seeing an almost naked Derek laying on the bed, snoring lightly. He dropped the towel and shook Derek awake.

"Hey, get under the covers. Naked cuddles only. I don't have a change of clothes."

"I packed you a bag, but I am not opposed to naked cuddles." He gave a soft smile as his slid his boxers off and tossed them to the side. He gracefully slid under the covers and held them open for Stiles.

"You're so sweet." Stiles scrambled into the bed, accidentally headbutting Derek on the chin, bringing tears to his own eyes.

"JESUS! Is your chin made of concrete or something?" He rubbed the top of his head and looked up to see Derek chuckling.

"I think I should be asking you that? I always thought when people called you hard-headed it was just an expression!"

"Hush." He rolled and placed his back to Derek. He never found it odd how they fit together perfectly, and right now, he needed that more than anything. He felt the gentle caress of Derek's fingers as they traced randomly across his side. He smiled and it wasn't long before he was asleep.

The next day was a blur but he had spent the whole day waiting for what Talia had meant. Stiles sat exactly where Talia had instructed him to; the front porch of the Hale house. He looked up in the sky and saw a beautiful silver moon looking down at him, not a single cloud in sight. He chuckled to himself.

"What if they are werewolves?"

Almost as if asking for it, four figures appeared just on the outskirt of the forest, each with a pair of glowing yellow eyes, almost golden. Except for one pair of eyes redder than rubies, but they were far lower to the ground. His jaw fell as they walked into the light of the moon, and immediately recognized the three human shaped bodies. The Hale children stood before him, fanged, clawed, and furry faced. His mind automatically assumed Talia

"HOLY SHIT! YOU _ARE_ WEREWOLVES!" His eyes grew wide and suddenly he was very light headed. He felt himself falling backwards but landed into familiar arms.

"Stiles." The wolf Derek's voice was rough, but it still carried his softness at the same time.

"Would you be mad if I called you Fido?" He hit the porch with a heavy thud.

"Does that answer your question?"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DROP ME! Asshole." Somehow, he wasn't surprised. Okay, he was very surprised, but he wasn't going to go all classical movie plot and take off into the woods screaming like the victim. Something told him that if they wanted him dead, or to eat him, they wouldn't have revealed their secret. He rubbed the elbow he fell down on and looked back at the three women. Even with their wolf form, they were still astonishingly beautiful. Derek was rugged, and even with his sneer and bared fangs, Stiles couldn't help but want to kiss him.

"You're not afraid. That's good." Talia spoke. She was now standing on the front lawn, completely naked.

"Uh... would you like a robe?" Stiles had officially seen more of Talia than he ever wanted to. She was Derek's mom, after all.

She simply chuckled and shook her head, striding into the house with Cora and Laura, both no longer wolfed out. Derek was the only one that still looked like he belonged in a horror movie.

"Stiles. I... hope... this..."

"No. It doesn't change anything between us, idiot. I can't believe you would think it did!"

He finally stands and wraps his arms around Derek's neck. It was a moment before Derek embraced him, and when he pulled away, he was staring into normal, human Derek's eyes.

"So... I am guessing this is why Peter survived the fire?"

Derek simply nodded.

The next few days were hectic, but everything was silent. Stiles and Derek had pretty much done nothing but dry hump and make out every night until the sun rose. Then they would sleep until noon. Not that Stiles didn't want more, but with three wolf women who were overly protective of the only Hale man in the house, he began to fear for his safety. So when Derek said they were headed back to the apartment, Stiles was more than a little over zealous about the idea. He was packed and ready to go home before Derek even had his pants on.

"Thanks for letting me stay!" He called out as he sprinted down the stairs and out the front door and right into the passenger seat of the Camaro. Derek follows a few minutes later, Talia in tow.

"Sorry if this was awkward for you dear. You are always welcome here, and next time, ignore Cora."

"Talia, if you are saying what I think you are saying, you are officially the coolest mom ever." Stiles jaw drops a little.

"I was young once too." She winks before turning and walking back to the house. Stiles stared after her. He was always amazed by the majesty and grace and elegance she had about her.

The ride home was mostly Stiles singing along to whatever was on the radio. He knew Derek didn't mind because a smile never left his face. That smile made Stiles heart flutter. It was a rare sight to see before they started dating, but Stiles was lucky to see it at least a few times a day, though he did like the dark mystery Derek had when he was brooding. They finally make it home and Stiles notices all new furniture, actually pretty much a whole new layout of the living room. He sighs heavily and is glad there are no more dead bodies laying around.

He feels the warm embrace of Derek again, the strong, muscular arms that wrap around his torso, almost like he is trying to protect his lover from the harms of the world. Nothing had felt this good in his entire life.

But in the back of his mind, he knew that Peter was out there, and he was looking for Derek. It would only be a matter of time before he came back to the apartment, and that it would not end well.

[End Chapter 6]

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Property of #BroodyINC

Special shout out to Psycho once again.


End file.
